1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a trailer hitch which is attached to a vehicle to allow the vehicle to tow trailers or the like and more particularly relates to a trailer hitch including means for stowing the tow bar when the tow bar is not positioned in the receiver of the hitch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Trailer hitches are commonly secured to the rear ends of vehicles to enable the vehicle to tow trailers or the like. Generally speaking, the trailer hitches comprise a cross-tube or cross-beam which is secured to the frame of the vehicle with the cross-beam having a rearwardly presented, hollow receiver into which an elongated tow bar is inserted. The elongated tow bar is normally secured to the receiver by means of a pin extending through the receiver and the tow bar. When so installed, the rearward end of the tow bar extends a considerable distance rearwardly of the receiver and the vehicle. When the trailer hitch is not being used to tow a trailer, the fact that the tow bar extends a considerable distance rearwardly of the receiver and the vehicle creates problems in that if the vehicle is being parallel parked, the rearward end of the tow bar may strike a vehicle which is parked rearwardly of the parking vehicle. Further, the rearwardly extending tow bar may sometimes interfere with the closing of a garage door if the vehicle is being parked within a garage. Yet another disadvantage of the rearwardly extending tow bar during periods of non-use is that a person walking behind the vehicle may bump into the protruding tow bar.
The problems associated with the rearwardly protruding tow bar are eliminated if the tow bar is removed from the receiver when the trailer hitch is not being used to pull a trailer or the like, but the removal of the tow bar from the receiver requires that the tow bar be stowed in the back of the vehicle or some other location. The stowage of the tow bar, when not in use, is a nuisance and the tow bar is sometimes lost or misplaced. One solution to the problems discussed hereinabove is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,279 wherein the tow bar is stowed in one of the ends of the cross-beam. The structure described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,279 will only work with those trailer hitches wherein the cross-beam has open ends. Many of the cross-beams of conventional trailer hitches are closed, which prevents the structure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,279 being utilized. Further, in some trailer hitch designs, the outer ends of the cross-beam are closely located to the sides of the vehicle which would result in the tow bar, if stored in one of the ends of the cross-beam, protruding laterally from the vehicle which would present problems similar to that described hereinabove.